Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-10-13
Prohibition in Maine.

versy has been carried on recently be
tween The Portland (Me.l Press" and
General Neal Dow. The latter urged
fresh legislation to enforce the prohibi-
tive principle. The former expressed
the opinion that this was not the right
remedy. General Dow replied that all
temperance people want "such legisla>
tion, whatever it may be, that will ren>
der liquor-selling Improbable and un-
comfortable 10 those who persist in it"
and he added that there was clearly "sn
overwhelming public opinion" in favor
of enforcement of the law, inssmuch as
prohibition was put in the Constitution
by majority of 47,075. To these rep
reservations The Press answered that
the majority referred to could not be
regarded as Indicating an 'overwhelm+
ing sentiment in favor of prohibition,
for the reason that the vote on the
amendment was 47,SO3 less than the
vote for Governor (cast at the same
time). showing that in addition to the |
23.s11 who voted against prohibition
there were 47.SOs persons who were too
Indifferent to vote on the amendment at
all, and that consequently the number |
of people opposed to prohibition and in
different to the subject is in excess of |
the number of people who favor it, The
Press further observes that 1t Is to this |
want of overwhelming public sentiment
that the laxiJy of the enforcement of
the law is due. This, we believe, must |
be cured before the law will be contin
uously and stringently enforced. We
do not think additional legislation will
contribute to that end
This is the more significant because
The Portland Press has always advo-
Gated prohibition, and must be elassed |
as tried and proved friend of the sys-
TEN. 1t shows in answer to Neal Dow |
that the law as it ftands is fully ade+
Quate to render liquor-selling unprofa
BILE aud uncomfortable to those who
persist in it, 1t makes the business
by providing for the eonfs-
cation Uf the convicted liquor-seller's |
whole stock. 1t makes it uncomfortas
BILE by making his Imprisonment com>
pulsory and beyond the option of the
courts. AS The Press says: The truth
is, the law makes rum selling unprOfita
ole enough and uncomfortable enough
to drive everybody out of the business.
If it we're perfectly enforced there would
not be rumseller in Mai to-day.
The difficulty is that no way
has yet been discovered to make the
law practically what it is theoretically
When it is remembered that thousands
of intelligent men have been meditatiDg
the subject for thirty years; that there
has never during that time been any
difficulty in getting the most stringent
provisions enacted in Maine; but that
in spite of opportunity and the support
of public sentiment prohibition does
not yet prohibit; some doubt ought to
arise even in the minds of General Dow
and his friends as to the efficacy of the
means they persist In vaunting above all
others.
Now, if in the State which has tried
prohibition under the most favorable
conditions and for the longest period it
has been impossible to create public SEN
timent enough to secure the enforce
ment of the law, the question arises
with what show of reason can the Pro-
affirm that they have solved
the temperance problem, and with what
regard to facts can they maintaiD-what
is the very pith and marrow of their
position-that prohibition does prohibr
It? Surely it is time for them to admit
that those who hesitate to accept their
improved theory, and who think the ed
ncation of public sentiment an indis-
pensable preliminary to any effective leg
slation, may be as true friends of tenn
perance as themselves.-N. Y. Tribune.